Challenge for top swimming coach

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 12

Challenge for top swimming coach

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Bob Mclntyre, the successful coach of last year’s Commonwealth Games and world championships swimming teams, has accepted a challenging new position as national director of coaching. The job was created by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, but until the national championships recently, McIntyre’s terms of reference were not strictly defined.

Essentially his task will be to provide every competitor with the opportunity to achieve his or her fullest potential. As a result an increase in depth and standard is expected. Mclntyre will use the expertise of other coaches around the country to co-

ordinate and formulate training programmes and competition programmes. “The association has given me plenty of latitude, but of course there are some inhibiting factors, such as finance.”

A sponsor is being sought by the N.Z.A.S.A. to help finance the scheme but as yet it has not been successful.

Mclntyre’s job will be entirely different to that of Cliff Williams, the technical director of swimming. His task is to instruct coaches and school teachers in the correct techniques of the sport. Amqjtg the programmes

Mclntyre will institute are training camps in various parts of the country, but he emphasised these will not be held without a specific purpose. “We won’t be getting swimmers together just for the sake of it.” “We will find out which areas need help and assist them with preparation of training programmes and

in other areas. I don’t envisage I will be travelling around the country very much. If a South Island centre needs help we will send a coach, perhaps from Christchurch or Dunedin." Mclntyre is extremelx

optimistic about the position and is convinced it will be a success. “All the coaches around the country are behind the scheme and will be involved in it.”

“We want to give swimmers as much experience as possible in squad situations before they,

“In the past there has been a lack of co-ordination of coaching ideas. Now coaches will be able to come to me with ideas, we can assess them and come up with what is best for the competitors. “There are coaches in every sphere of swimming whose knowledge we can use to help develop the sport.” Besides improving technique and training methods, swimmers will be taught how to relate to coaches apart from their own, and to other swim-

reach international level. That way they will be able to handle top competition more easily when the time arrives.’’

As national director, Mr Mclntyre will have to sacrifice much of his own competitive coaching. “I will be semi-retiring from my squad to concentrate on the national position. I will be a little desk-bound I guess. I’m not keen on that but I am prepared to accept it to tackle the new job. It is exciting and a lot of avenues should open,” he said. The period of appointment has not been decided, but the position will be re-assessed after the Moscow Olympics next year- _ ♦